Locking device for grease-cups.



H. B. ANDREWS.

LOCKING DEVICE FOR GREASE CUPS.

APPLICATION FILED 050.30. 1914.

1,144,280. Patented June 22, 1915.

'Ecfl... 5

1n: NORRIS PETERS co. PHOTO-THO WASHINGIUN, u. c.-

an emote.

HERBERT B. ANDREWS, F BATTLE CREEK, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN STAMPING (10., 0F BATTLE CREEK, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

LOCKING DEVICE roe GREASE-CUPS.

unease.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 22, 1915.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HERBERT B. Annnnws, a citizen of the United States, residing at Battle Creek, in the county of Calhoun and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Looking Devices for Grease-Cups; and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

This invention is a novel improvement in grease cups and has particularreference to means for preventing casual relative rotation of the body and cap or cover of the cup while the same is in use, particularly Where such cups are used on moving parts of machinery, or automobiles, and the like, where f they are subjected to vibration and shocks,

which would tend to cause the cover to unscrew and perhaps be 10st,.a'nd also waste the contents of the cup. I e

The invention is particularly adapted for use with ordinary grease cups of that type in which the body is fast to the part to be oiled while the cap is designed to be removed and filled with grease and then attached to the cup and secured by screwing it down intermittently by hand or otherwise, as it is desired to expel grease from the cup.

The object of the invention isto provide a very simple inexpensive and efiicient internal locking device whereby casual rotation of the cap on the body is effectively prevented, while permitting ready manual operation of the cap either to secure it on or remove it from the body.

I will explain the invention with reference to the drawings which illustrate a practical embodiment thereof, and in the claims summarize the novel features of the locking device for which protection is desired.

In said drawings: Figure 1 is a vertical section through the grease cup showing the locking device inoperative position. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the cup with the bridge piece therein. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view- I of the cover with the locking member therein. Fig. 4 is a view of the locking member detached. Fig. 5 is a view of the bridge piece detached.

In said drawings 1 designates the base of a grease cup which is shown as of a well known type, and may be of any suitable construction, having a threaded depending stem portion 1 which can be screwed to the object to be lubricated, and said base has an exgernally threaded portion 1 at its upper en The cap or cover 2 ternally threaded to engage the external threads 1 and is preferably provided on the under side of its top portion with radially disposed indentations 2, four such indentations being ordinarily suflicient.

Pivoted to the center of the cap and within the same is the upper end of a spring locking member which is preferably ap proximately L-shaped and has an upper horizontally disposed spring tongue 3 pivoted to the under side of the cap by an axially disposed lug or rivet 4: attached to the cap in any suitable manner, so that this tongue 3 may swing around and under the cover of the cap, or rather the cap may turn relatively to the tongue 3 of the spring. The free end of the tongue 3 may be provided with a lug 3 on its upper face, which may be formed by pressing the metal of the tongue upwardly, such lug being adapted to engage with any of the notches 2 in the under side of the cap top when the latter is turned relatively to the tongue 3.

From theinner end of the tongue 3 depends an axially disposed member 3 of the locking device which may be connected to the inner end of the tongue 3 by a short curved portion or bend 3 The member 3 should be held stationary relatively to the cap and base, and this can be conveniently accomplished by having the member 3 engaged with a slot 5"* in a bridge piece 5 secured within the base in any convenient manner, as indicated in Fig. 2. One practical way is to make the bridge piece of such length that when pressed into position in the base it will be preferably rigid and nonrotatable therein.

The baseis filled with grease and the cap also filled with grease; then when the cap is placed over the base the end of the member 3 of the locking device, (which preferably projects a little below the bottom of the cap,) will engage the slot 5 in the bridge piece 5 and prevent rotation of the locking member while permitting the cap to be forcibly turned by hand or otherwise; and as the cap is turned the lug 3 on the tongue for such cup is in- 3 of the locking member will successively in the top of the cap engage the notches 2 above explanation.

and bind therein sufliciently to prevent the cap being casually turned on the base by jarring or vibration of the cup and will require the application of some external power to the cap to turn it; the cap can however be readily rotated by hand against the resistance of the locking device.

While the device is very simple it is quite efficient in operation, and its action Will be sufiiciently clear from the drawings and While the particular locking member shown is simple and preferred it would be possible to vary its construction within the scope of the invention, and therefore I do not consider the claims limited to the particular embodiment thereof illustrated in the drawings.

What I claim is 1 'In combination with a grease cup comprising separable members, of a locking member having a tongue pivoted within and at the axial line of one member of the cup with its free end yieldably engaged with said cup-member, and a portion extending from the pivoted end of the tongue and lying in the axial line of the cup and nonrotatably engaged with the other member of the cup.

2. In combination with a grease cup comprisingseparable members, a spring locking member comprising a tongue pivoted to and within one member of the cup and at the axial line thereof and having its free end yieldably engaged therewith, and a portion integral with the tongue lying in the axial line of the cup and having a non-rotative engagement with the other member of the cup. I

3. In combination with a grease-cup having a cap and base, of a locking tongue pivoted" within and to the underside of the top of'the cap of the cup and having a yieldable engagement therewith, and having a depending portion non-rotatably engaged with the base of the cup.

4. In combination with a grease cup having a cap and base, a spring locking member comprising a tongue pivoted to the underside of the top of and within the-cap and having a yieldable engagement therewith, and a depending portion connected with the tongue and lying in the axial line of the cup and having a non-rotative engagement with the base of the cup.

5. In combination with a grease cup comprising a base and a cap rotatively engaged therewith, a spring locking member having a tongue portion pivoted to the underside of the top of and within the cap, and an integral depending portion connected with the and having a slidable non-rotativeengagement with the base of the cup. 7

(5 In combination'with a grease cup having a base and cap, a locking member comtongue andlying in the axial line of thecup prising a tongue pivoted to the center of the p top of the capof the cup and having a yieldable engagement therewith, and an axial portion connected with the tongue and de pending into theb'a'se of the cup, and a retaining member in the base having a slidable engagement with the axial portion of the looking member.

7. Incoinbination with a grease cup comprising an internallynotched cap and a base; of an approximately L- haped locking member comprising a tongue pivotedto the center of the top of thecap of the cup and adapted to engage the notches in the cap, andha-ving an axial portion depending into the'base of the cup, and a retaining member fixed to the base and having a slidable ening member;

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as myown, I aflix my signature in'presence oftwo witnesses; 7 Q

I HERBERT B; ANDREWS. Witnesses F; EVANS, PHILIP Ross.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D.- G. e

.gagement with the axial portion of the lock- 

